Bairstow hopes Rashid will clear India ‘Test’

However, if there is one man who isn’t surprised by that peach of a delivery, it is Rashid’s team-mate Jonny Bairstow. It has largely got to do with the two training together extensively at Yorkshire. 

“He’s a world-class leg-spinner,” Bairstow says. “He’s bowled that ball a million times. It’s just because he’s got one person out that everyone’s talking about it. That’s ridiculous. People were slating him 18 months ago, but he’s a world-class player.”

“It’s part and parcel of his job to bowl balls like that and deceive batsmen. He did it perfectly. To get Kohli out stumped first time and bowled first time in the series is huge.” After England’s one-day series victory over India, Bairstow is in positive mood and glad to hear that national selector Ed Smith is trying to persuade Rashid to return to red-ball cricket. Bairstow vows he will always pursue a place for England in all formats.

“There’s still an opportunity for him (Rashid) to come back and play. I don’t think it’s a closed book. Absolutely I would like him to, but it’s his decision. As team-mates, we stand by him.”

The one-day series victory, Bairstow suggests, lays down a marker for the 2019 World Cup. “To win this last series... that is huge,’ he said. “Things can change in sport but the most pleasing thing is we went out and played in drier conditions than we are all used to in England and we came out on top against India. This gives us belief.”

As for Bairstow, he now returns to his preferred position behind the stumps for the upcoming Tests and he is preparing with the same Sixpad training gear Cristiano Ronaldo uses. “My training changes for wicketkeeping. It’s a lot more squats and bruises on my hands! The five Tests in Australia... there were 1,000 overs in the field and times that by six (balls an over), it’s 6,000 squats straight away, before any dives or wides. You get used to it. It’s the job.”

Jos Buttler is keeping wicket in the limited-overs formats and Bairstow admits his preference would be to seize that role. “I want to be doing that but we have a settled one-day squad,” he said. “We are happy with our balance and our individual goals. Everyone appreciates the differences between the formats.” Returning to his preferred role for the Tests, Bairstow must balance keeping wicket with batting at No 5 — a historically tricky task — but he is embracing the challenge.

‘I’ve batted at five for Yorkshire for 10 years and average 47,’ he said. ‘It’s whatever’s best for the balance of the team,” said the 28-year-old.